Generator.



L. E. HOWARD.

GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJ. 191s.

Patented Apr. 25,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

4 WITNESSES.-

W Maw M HM A TTOR/I/EYS L. E. HOWARD.

GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.7.19|s.

Patented Apr. 25,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: I

A TTORIVEYS THE C LUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0-, WASHINGTON, D. C-

LAWRENCE E. HOWARD, OF YAMI-IILL, OREGON.

GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

Application filed August 7, 1915. Serial No. 44,313.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE E. I-Iow- ARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Yamhill, in the county of Yamhill and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in generators, and the invention has for its object to provide a generator of that type for generating acetylene gas from a mixture of calcium carbid and water, wherein a generator is provided comprising a container for holding water, and having means above the wator for feeding cal-bid to the water in the container in predetermined amounts, and wherein a gasometer is arranged adjacent to the container to which the generator delivers, and wherein the feeding of thecar bid to the generator is controlled directly by the movable part of the gasometer.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section through the improved generator, Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a front view of the upper part of the generator with parts in section, Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views of the feeding mechanisms showing the parts in different positions, Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail View of a portion of the feeding mechanism, and Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the generator proper showing the manner of holding the shell in place.

In the present embodiment of the invention, a generator proper is provided, the said generator comprising a tank 1 of cylindrical form having its bottom closed and its top open, and a receptacle 2 of cylindrical form is arranged within the tank, concentric therewith, the receptacle being similar to the tank and being supported above the bottom of the tank by means of legs 3, connected with the bottom of the receptacle and resting on the bottom of the tank.

A. shell 4 is arranged within the tank between the same and the receptacle, the bot-v the upper end of the shell. The top of the ced po ti n 5 of the shell is closed but is provided with an inlet nipple 7, normally closed by a cap 8, threaded thereon.

The shell is clamped in the tank by means of clamping bars 9, which are arranged transversely of the ring 6. Each of the clamping bars is hinged at one end to the tank as indicated at 10 and at the other end each clamping bar is longitudinally slotted for engagement by a T-shaped latch 11, which is hinged to the tank as indicated at 12. To release the shell it is only necessary to swing the T-shaped clamp 11 outwardly, thus releasing the clamping bars 9, which may be swung upward on their hinge connections, and when the shell has been so re leased it may be lifted out from the tank.

A funnel or hopper shaped magazine is arranged within the reduced portion of the shell, the said magazine comprising a cylindrical body 13 and a hopper shaped bottom 14. The body fits within the reduced portion of the generator and is secured in place by means of screws 15, which are passed through the wall of the reduced portion and engage threaded openings in the body of the magazine.

A feeding sleeve 16 is arranged at the lower end of the hopper below the same, the said sleeve being held by bearing arms 17. each of which has at one end a ring embracing the sleeve, and the other end is secured to the vertical portion 18 of an angle bracket depending fromthe hopper bottom 14 of the magazine, and consisting of the said vertical portion and a horizontal portion 19 extending transversely of the sleeve to the opposite side thereof. This horizontal portion 19 has a step bearing 20 at its free end, and the lower end of a shaft 21 is journaled in the bearing. The shaft passes through the hopper bottom 14 and through a stuffing box 22 in the top of the reduced portion 5 of the shell above the shell, and feed valves are connected with the shaft between the bearing and the bottom of the hopper. The feed valves 23 and 241 are arranged at the opposite ends of the sleeve 16, the valve 23 being between the sleeve and the hopper, while the valve 2 1 is between the lower end of the sleeve and the horizontal portion 19 of the bracket. These valves 23 and 24: have bearings 25, which encircle the shaft 21, and are adj ustably connected therewith by means of set screws 26. The valves are oppositely arranged. so that wh e haft is oscil ated in one direction the valve 23 will be opened to permit-the carbid to flow from the hopper into the feeding sleeve, and they valve 24 will be closed to prevent the carbid flowing from the sleeve, while when the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction, the valve 23 will be closed and the valve 24 will be opened to cut off the flow of carbid from the hop per to the sleeve and to permit the contents of the sleeve to fall into the water of the generator. Thus whenever the shaft is rotated in one direction, the feeding sleeve will receive a predetermined charge of car bid, while when the shaft is rotated in the op posite directionthis predetermined charge will be dropped into the water in the generator.

An arm 27 is connected to the upper end of the shaft, the arm having a bearing 28,

which encircles the shaft and is secured thereto by means of a set screw 29. This arm extends radially from the shell, and a coil spring 30 has one end connected with the arm. The spring passes over a pulley 31,

journaled between the arms of a fork at the upper end of a standard 32, which is secured to cross bars 33, which connect the tank 1 and the fixed member or tank 34 of the gasometer, and a weight 35. iseonnectedto the lower end of the spring. The weight acts normally to swing the arm toward the standard 32, and the arm is controlled by mechanism to be later described, extending upwardly from the top of themovable portion or bell 37 of the gasometer.

It will be noted from aninspection of Fig. 1 that the tank 1 and tank 34 of the gasometer are connected by a pipe 38, and the pipe39 which leads the,gasformed in the generator proper to the gasometer passes through thispipe 38, and a valve 40 is interosed in the length of-the pipe at the pipe 38. This valve provides for Preventing loss of gas from the gasometer when removing the residue from the generator or giving such attention thereto as may require access to the interior thereof and. which would entail a waste of. gas if no provision were made to close the pipe 39. i

The pipe 39 extends upwardly in the tank 1 through a pipe in the side of the receptacle'2, opening at the top of the. receptacle, and {in the gasometer the said pipe 39extends upwardly within the bell above the water level and then downwardly as indicated at 41 below the water level, so that the gas flowing from the generator to the gasometer enters the water int-he gasometer and. then passes upwardly through the water into the bell.

An outlet pipe 42 leads downwardly from the bell to the bottom of the tank 34, passes outwardly beyond the periphery of the bell asindicated at 43 and then extends up- Wardlyto the top of the tank-34 as indi "cated at 44. This pipe then extends outwardly above the top of the tank and downwardly as shown at 45 to a connection with a purifying device indicated at 46 and from this. .device to the place of utilization.

The controlling mechanism for the arm 27 consists of bars 47 and 48, extendingupwardly from the top of the bell of the gasometer parallel with each other for a short distance, and the bar 48 then inclines. inwardly toward the bar 47 as indicated at 49 and at their tops the inclined portion 49 and the bar 47 are connected.

Anextension 50 is held in alinement with the portions 48 of the bar 4849, by means of arc-shaped brackets 51. Each of these brackets is connected at one end to the inclined portion 49, and at the other to the extension 50, and the said brackets hold the extension in alinement with the portion 48 of the bar 4849. It will be noticed that the aggregate length of the bar 48 and extension 50 is less than that of the bar 47, that is, the bar 47 extends above the upper end of the extension 50. The part 50 does not extendto the same height as the part 47, thereby admitting of the free end of the arm 27 passing thereover.

A gate 52 s provided at the. lower end of the-extension 50, the said gate being hinged as shown at 53, to the lower end of the extension 50.

The operation of the device is as follows: The generator is filled with water to within six inches of the top of the tank 1, and the receptacle 2 is filled with Water after placing in the tank. The magazine is filled with carbid, which may be inserted by means ofa funnel through the nipple 7. The gasometer bell is at this time down in its lowest position, since there is no gas in thegasometer, and the arm 27 may move over thetop of the extension 50 into contact with the bar 47, being drawn to. this position by the spring 30, as shown in Fig. 5. A charge of carbid is thus fed into the water of thereceptacle, and the gas begins to generate. The gas flows through the pipe 39 into the gasometer lifting the bell, and as theloell moves upward the arm 27 moves down the inclined portion 49 of the bar 4849,.v Theinclined portion 49 of. the bar 48-49 closes the lowermost valve .24 and opens the uppermost valve 23, and it will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 7 that the arrangement of the out off valves 23 and 24 is such that the valve 23 does not begin to open until the bottom valve ,24 .is almost closed. When the gasometer bell is at its lowest point, that is, when there is little or no gasin the bell, the arm 27 will be drawn intocontact with the bar 47 passing over the upper end of the extension 50. a This from the feeding sleeve into the water in the receptacle. Gas will be immediately generated, and the bell will rise.

The arm 27 moves on the inclined portion 49 of the bar 4849 as the gasometer bell moves upward until the said arm passes beneath the gate, and will then pass on to the vertical portion 48 of the bar 48 -49, closing the valve 24 and opening the valve 28. The feeding sleeve will now fill and when the gasometer bell drops to a point such that the arm 27 can pass above the upper end of the extension 50 at which time there will be little or no gas in the bell, the valve 24 will be opened to drop the charge in the feeding sleeve into the water of the receptacle, while the valve 23 will be closed.

In starting the generator after the magazine has been filled, the bell being at its lowest point and the arm 27 in contact with the bar 47 at its upper end the valve 23 will be closed and the valve 24 opened, and it is only necessary to swing-the arm in a direction to lift the weight in order to permit the feeding sleeve to fill. After it has been filled the arm is permitted to move back under the pressure of the weight to reverse the position of the valves. When the receptacle becomes over-loaded with the ashes or waste of the carbid it may be removed and emptied and then replaced.

The gate 52 is a switch leaf for preventing the arm 27 from passing up the inclined portion of the bar 4849. This leaf permits the arm to pass from the portion 49 to the portion 48, but prevents the arm from passing directly from the portion 48 to the portion 49.

The coil spring 30 has a hook at the end adjacent to the arm 27 to permit the easy detachment of the spring when moving the shell to empty the used carbid. The pipe 39 is arranged within a second pipe in the boiler 2. The receptacle carries this pipe which runs from the top to the bottom, and there is an opening in the bottom at the pipe through which the pipe 39 extends. Thus the receptacle is placed in the tank over the pipe 39 and is afterward filled with water.

It will be noticed from an inspection of Fig. 7 that the lower end of the funnelshaped bottom 14 of the machine is half cut away. This arrangement prevents the valve 23 from cutting or breaking the carbid when it is moved, and also permits the valve to push the carbid out of the way. When the valve opens it carries a small portion of the carbid, and this portion is brushed off outside of the feed sleeve by the lower part of the funnel.

The magazine is provided with a partition (30, which extends approximately parallel with the funnel-shaped bottom and extends over the opening in the bottom of the magazine to prevent choking of the feed opening of the hopper. The carbid passes over this partition, and flows down in the manner shown, so that at no time can the carbid collect over the opening and jam the same.

A bracket arm 61 extends laterally from the standard 32 toward the gasometer and this arm is provided with rollers 62, which engage opposite side edges of the bar 47, and on the movable part or bell of the gasometer in this rising and falling movement. This arm and the rollers prevent tilting of the gasometer as would otherwise be the case through the engagement of the arm 27 with the bars, and constrains the bell to move vertically so that there is no unsteadiness of the supply of gas and of the flame.

It is observed that the height to which the gas bell rises depends entirely upon the quantity of gas retained in the gas bell, but since there is about six inches depth in the bell to be consumed between the time the valves feed the carbid and the time the element 27 passes beneath the gate, and as it only requires a fraction of a minute for the generator to generate a full gas bell after the carbid is fed, there is no chance for the lights attached to consume all of the gas remaining in the bell before the arm 27 will pass beneath the gate. Furthermore, the feed sleeve 16 is made of such size that it will hold just enough carbid for each feeding to produce gas enough to raise the bell to a point (when the machine has no lights attached in use) where the handle 27 is six inches lower than the gate.

If the arm 27 should fail to pass beneath the gate 52 for any reason, when a charge of carbid is fed, it would travel back up the incline 49 and would gradually open the lower valve 24 to permit the contents of the feed sleeve 16 to fall into the water below. and when the arm 27 had traveled back to a feeding point, the machine would remain inoperative until the element 27 were pulled to the top of the element 50 and permitted to swing back to the feeding point under the influence of the weight 85. When this occurs, the generator will again act, the element 27 will. ride on the incline 49 and be neath the gate 52, and on down the element 48. Since the charge of carbid that the feed sleeve holds is sufficient when discharged to generate enough gas to fill the gas bell and cause it to rise and carry the gate 52 to a point six inches above the arm 27, which leaves the arm resting against the element 48 at a point six inches below the gate, now as the gas passes from the gas bell, the bar 48, the gate 52 and the element 50 move down past the arm 27 until the upper end of the element 50 clears the said arm 27 when the weight will pull the arm 27 over the guide 50 and against the guide 47, when another charge of carbid will be fed. Thus it will be seen that there is no danger of the element 27 failing to pass beneath the gate, unless there should not be enough carbid in the generator to fill the feed sleeve.

The valves 23 and 24 are. attached to the lower end of the shaft 21 with set screws 16, that is they are adjustably connected to the shaft and they turn with the shaft. These valves are made in half circle shape, as shown, with a segment of approximately half the area of, the valve cut out so as to open and close the openings in the lower end of the funnel and the lower end of the feed sleeve as quickly as possible. They are so set on the shaft that when the element 27 is against the upper end of the guide 47, the lower valve 24 is wide open, and the upper valve 23 is a little past closed position. They are also soset that the upper valve 28 does 'not begin to open until the lower valve 24 is too near shut to permit any carbid to pass through it, and since the upper valve then continues to open, the lowervalve passes by a completely closed position a trifle, and since both valves are wide enough so that the backs of the same do not reach the openings in the lower end of the funnel or in the lower end of the feed sleeve before the valves will be stopped by the back of the opposite valve striking the wall of the shell, thus opening at the back of the valve is impossible. This striking of the valve against the wall of the shell does not happen in the useof the machine, since the arm 27 striking against the element 47 prevents the valves turning far enough.

The feed sleeve .16 is set one-half inch below the opening in the lower end of the funnel, and the upper vali e is set on the shaft so that it passes one-quarter inch above the upper end of the feed sleeve and some distance below the lower end of the funnel. This arrangement makes it possible for the valve 23 to pass between the funnel and the feed sleeve, cutting off the flow of carbid without danger of being caught by a lump of carbid and thus checking its movement. The lower valve is setjust below the lower opening in thefeed sleeve, and thus the said valve is too close to permit any carbid to pass out between the sleeve and the valve.

The feed sleeve is one-half inch larger in diameter than the hole in the lower end of the magazine, as will be evident from an inspection of the drawing, and thus acts as a check against feeding from the magazine more carbid than enough to feed the feed sleeve. The element 60 above the lower wall of the magazine has a large opening between its lower end and the wall of the magazine, which lets the carbid feed through the lower portion of the magazine in only small quantities, until the feeding is stopped by the collect n of ar id in the lo e end of the magazine. Thus the feeding is stopped until the carbid is let out below to fill the feed sleeve, at which time the carbid also slides out past the partition or element 60, and into the lower end of the magazine. Thus the lower end is at all times supplied with carbid, and the only manner in which the generator can fail to feed the proper amount of carbid at a time to raise the gas bell to the proper height is in case there should not be sufiicient carbid in the magazine to fill the feed sleeve.

I claim 1. In apparatus of the character specified, the combination with the generator and the gasometer to which the generator delivers, the feed magazine and the feeding means for delivering a charge to the generator, of an angularly movable arm controlling the feeding means, and means on the movable portion of the gasometer for moving the arm in a direction to feed a predetermined charge of carbid to the tank when the said movable portion is at its lowest point, said means comprising a pair of parallel laterally spaced vertical guide bars, a normally active means pressing the arm against one of the said bars and toward the other bar, an inclined bar connecting the two bars and inclining at its upper end toward the last-named bar, the arm being above the upper end of the first-named bar when the movable portion is at its lowest point, and a switch leaf at the junction of the inclined portion with the first-named bar for deflecting the arm and constraining it to follow the first-named bar when the gasometer moves upward.

2. In apparatus for generating acetylene gas, including a gasometer having a movable hell or like part, a carbid feeding mechanism embodying a valve, a laterally swinging arm having connection with the valve, means for moving the arm laterally in one direction, and means connected with the movable part of the gasometer for moving the arm laterally in the opposite direction, said means embodying a vertical guide, a member hingedly connected to the lower end of the vertical guide, a stop at one side of the vertical guide and above a horizontal plane touching the upper end of said guide to arrest the lateral swinging of the arm, and an incline extending from the stop to the lower end of the hinged member to bring the arm back to the plane of the vertical guide.

3. In apparatus for generating acetylene as, including a gasometer having a movable hell or like part, a carbid feeding mechanism embodying a valve, a laterally swinging arm having connection with the valve, means for moving the arm laterally in one direction, and means connected with the said means embodying a vertical guide, a stop at one side of the vertical guide and above a horizontal plane touching the upper end of said guide, an incline extending from the stop toward the lower end of the vertical guide and spaced therefrom, and a member bridging the space formed between the lower end of the vertical guide and the lower end of the incline and adapted to swing upwardly to permit the arm to pass from the incline to a point beyond the vertical guide so as to ride thereon.

:L. In apparatus for generating acetylene gas, including a gasometer having a movable bell or like part, a carbid feeding mechanism embodying a valve, a laterally swinging arm having connection with the valve, means for moving the arm laterally in one direction, and means connected with the movable part of the gasometer for moving the arm laterally in the opposite direction, said means embodying a vertical guide, a member hinged to the lower end of the vertical guide, an incline extending upwardly and laterally from the lower end of the hinged member, connecting means between the vertical guide and the incline, and a stop at the upper end of the incline to one side of the vertical guide and above a horizontal plane touching the upper end of said vertical guide.

5. In apparatus for generating acetylene gas, including a gasometer having a movable bell or like part, a carbid feeding mechanism embodying a valve, a laterally swinging arm having connection with the valve, means for moving the arm laterally in one direction, and means connected with the movable part of the gasometer for moving the arm latorally in the opposite direction, said means consisting of transversely spaced vertically arranged guide members projecting to unequal heights, a member hinged to the shorter vertical guide member, and an incline extending from the lower end of the hinged member to the upper end of the longer vertical guide member and fprming juncture therewith at or near a horizontal line touching the upper end of the shorter vertical guide member.

LAVVRENGE E. HOWARD. Vitnesses C. W. VAN WONNER, E. F. MAGOON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

